I Want to Reach the Stars. What's Wrong with That?

After Nicolas finished speaking, the room fell silent.

The firewood in the fireplace crackled, Mars flew up, and then fell back down.

The alchemical instruments were still running on their own, ticking away like some kind of ancient timer.

Regulus processed what had just been said, but other thoughts began to surface in his mind at the same time.

Nicolas said his Patronus shines so brightly because it has light within it.

That's true, but not entirely true.

His Patronus is indeed bright, but it's not just because he has light in his heart.

The Guardian Image of Bellatrix, those stars that are constantly operating in the Spiritual World —these are the fundamental reasons for its brightness.

He hadn't bothered to think about the Starry Sky Kite since he first summoned it on the cliffs of Ireland.

The significance of the Patronus to him lies not in its ability to emit light, nor in its ability to dispel anything.

Its greatest significance lies elsewhere.

Standing on the cliff that day, watching the sunset, feeling the Magic Power flowing joyfully with his emotions, it was the first time he let his feelings take over.

Before that, Magic was a formula, logic, something that could be dissected for him.

It was the Patronus who made him understand that Magic can be alive, it can be emotions, it can be something indescribable.

Only after that did he begin to truly realize that Magic has its own life.

Only after that did he find his current path.

Reason forms the skeleton, while emotion forms the flesh and blood.

This was given to him by his Patronus.

However, Regulus did not entirely agree that the Starry Sky Kite represented light.

He remembers everything from that day: standing on the cliff watching the sunset, the overwhelming feeling of being awestruck by the vast world, and the urge to fly far away.

Magic Power flowed merrily through my veins, as if something was about to burst forth, and then my Patronus appeared.

Was he happy at that moment?

Of course I'm happy.

He never doubted that the Patronus Charm was the purest embodiment of positive emotions.

The Starry Sky Kite can dispel darkness and melt away despair; its very existence is a negation of all Restraints.

It is certainly bright, but that is only a part of him.

There is another part, not in the Starry Sky Kite.

When murderous intent surged, when he thought about how to make his enemy die more thoroughly, more cleanly, and without leaving a trace, that was also him.

The Starry Sky Kite represents freedom, exploration, and a yearning for the vast world.

Light and warmth serve that purpose; they are fuel, not the End.

Dumbledore valued his Patronus simply because the old man believed that as long as there was such light in one's heart, a little darkness could not overturn the world.

Regulus understood him, but didn't completely agree; the Patronus was part of him, but not his whole being.

But of course he wouldn't say these things aloud.

You can't just stand up and argue, "No, I have Patronus, but I'm not righteous," can you?

That would be incredibly stupid.

Since they all think it's the light, then let it be the light. There's nothing wrong with it anyway. I'll just be a person of light who meets their expectations.

Regulus continued to think.

There was an even more important piece of information in Nicolas's words just now.

Magic Power can be converted into mass.

If this is true, then E=mc² should have a corresponding version in the Magic world.

Energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. That number is ridiculously large. A mass the size of a palm, when fully converted into energy, could raze a city to the ground.

Did Nicolas, who lived for six hundred years, constantly undergo this transformation to sustain his life?

Can Magic Power replenish the body's lost essence?

If that's the case, how much Magic Power would Nicolas consume every day?

This is just speculation; there is no basis for it.

But regardless of how Nicolas sustains his life, and regardless of the mechanism of the Elixir of Life, it is enough to confirm that Magic Power and mass can be converted into each other.

Regulus thought of his speculations about the Conduction of the Whomping Willow's Magic Power properties.

These two things combined are quite intriguing.

At that moment, Nicolas waved his hand, and the cup on the table started moving on its own.

The silver teapot floated up, pouring amber liquid into one cup and deep red wine into another.

The last small pot floated up and poured hot chocolate into the third cup, still steaming.

The teacup floated to Dumbledore and stopped, the wine glass floated to Nicolas himself, and the hot chocolate floated to Regulus.

Dumbledore picked up his teacup, took a sip, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Nicolas picked up his glass, took a sip, and looked at Regulus with admiration in his eyes.

A second-year wizard asked those questions, heard those answers, and then fell into thought.

For a wizard who has lived this long, witnessing such a scene is probably indeed something to be happy about.

Regulus snapped out of his daze, picked up the hot chocolate, and took a sip.

The temperature was just right, the sweetness was just right, and it had an indescribable aroma.

He put down his glass and looked at Nicolas: "Thank you, Mr. Flamel. It's been a very fruitful day."

Nicolas waved his hand. "No need to thank me. I've said everything I could. If you can understand, that's your skill; if you can't, there's no point in me saying anything."

He looked at Regulus and asked with a chuckle, "Child, how long do you think is enough to live?"

Regulus paused for a moment; the topic had shifted rather abruptly.

He was still pondering questions about Magic Power and quality, about Patronus and light, and about the growth of the soul.

Moreover, he had many more questions to ask.

But this is a good question; it's just unclear whether it was Nicolas's own idea or Dumbledore's suggestion.

But it doesn't matter; it's perfect for showing my stance.

Regulus thought for a moment, then pretended to be deep in thought.

Then he honestly replied, "I haven't thought about it; I'm only twelve years old."

Dumbledore chuckled and interjected, "Nicolas, that's too early for him."

Nicolas shook her head. "No, it's not early. I was thinking about whether I could live longer than anyone else when I was twelve."

Regulus looked at him and asked, "Mr. Flamel, do you still want to?"

Nicolas fell silent.

The firelight from the fireplace danced on his face, his light gray eyes staring in a certain direction, yet seemingly not looking at anything at all.

Dumbledore was looking at him too.

After a long while, Nicolas suddenly smiled and said, "I want to, but my thoughts are different from before."

"When you're young, you want to live forever because you're afraid of dying, afraid that once you die, you'll have nothing left."

He continued, "The reason I want to live forever now is... because I want to see what happens next."

Regulus chimed in, "I haven't thought about how long I want to live."

Both old men were looking at him.

Regulus lowered his head, as if embarrassed. "I just hope I don't get beaten to death."

These words made the two old men laugh.

Nicolas's eyes crinkled into slits with laughter, Dumbledore's beard trembled with laughter.

After they finished laughing, Regulus said, "As for the future, when I can no longer walk and it's time for me to die, then I'll die. It's no big deal."

Nicolas's eyes held a hint of curiosity. "You're so open-minded about it?"

Regulus said, "It's not that I'm philosophical about it, it's just that I feel we live to do things, not just to live."

He added, "Of course, this is just my current thought. Who knows what will happen in the future?"

He gave a sly smile, typical of a young man. "After all, I'm only twelve."

The two old men laughed again.

After Dumbledore laughing, he looked at Regulus with satisfaction in his eyes. "Regulus, I'm glad you think that way."

He said, "Life is meant to be experienced; experience what you're meant to experience, feel what you're meant to feel. Death... death is another adventure, but it's not something to think about right now."

Regulus nodded, but his mind was elsewhere.

It's true that we live to do things.

But what if one day, all the things that could be done have been done?

If I'm really going to die, if I'm really going to go into that Limbo between life and death, if I really have to keep going in—

He recalled those ideas about the soul.

If only one could keep their Complete Soul, instead of tearing it apart and hiding it like Voldemort.

If one can gradually nurture the soul to the point where it can leave the body and interfere with the objective world.

If only we could nurture a few powerful Magic items within that glowing little figure, allowing them to grow alongside the soul.

Even further, to make the soul powerful enough to Spellcasting—

What will it be like as you go further in?

Has it vanished completely, without a trace?

Or is there something else?

He didn't know, but he felt it was best not to go to that place.

Even if you absolutely have to go, you must be well-prepared.

I've gone in; let's see if I can come back.

Regulus was thinking about all sorts of random things.

Nicolas asked again, "Then what are you living for?"

Regulus snapped out of his daze.

What are you doing?

There are too many.

Develop Magic, study space, illuminate the stars, nurture souls, and then--

Thinking of this, he suddenly stopped; he noticed Nicolas's condition.

The old man appeared perfectly normal, with a smile on his face and the same tone as before, but Regulus vaguely sensed something.

It's like someone walking on a road suddenly stopping; they're still standing there, but they no longer have the intention to go any further.

Regulus recalled the way Nicolas had spoken earlier; he had said he wanted immortality because he wanted to see what would happen next.

But now, those words seem devoid of warmth, as if they were spoken to someone else.

There's a sense of despondency, like having seen everything that needs to be seen and there's nothing left to watch.

Regulus recalled his earlier guess.

The idea that Nicolas will destroy the Philosopher's Stone and give up on living in less than twenty years may already be in his mind now.

Regulus glanced at Dumbledore, Dumbledore was also looking at him.

The moment their eyes met, Dumbledore's expression remained unchanged; he still listened with a smile.

But Regulus saw something else in those eyes.

That look seemed to say, "You felt it?"

Regulus's heart skipped a beat; he seemed to understand.

This trip wasn't just to broaden his horizons, nor was it just to ask him questions, and it wasn't just to test his attitude towards death.

Dumbledore brought him here partly for Nicolas's sake, so that Nicolas could see something he had never seen before.

Regulus remained silent, pondering the matter in his mind.

What to say? How to say it? How much to say?

There's nothing I should or shouldn't say; everyone has their little hobbies, right?

A first-grader was shouting that he wanted to be Minister for Magic; he's a second-grader, what's wrong with wanting to be a genius?

and--

He glanced at Dumbledore again.

Dumbledore certainly knew what the Sorting Hat saw in his mind.

It's not a secret now, and it's not a big deal.

Regulus took a deep breath and said, "I want to see what's outside."

Nicolas looked at him. "Outside? Outside Hogwarts?"

Regulus shook his head, then raised his hand and pointed upwards.

Nicolas paused for a moment, Dumbledore, and then quickly looked away, turning his gaze back to Regulus.

Regulus continued, "Those stars are very far away; it takes light thousands, even tens of thousands of years to reach them. Some stars are already dead by the time we see them."

"I just want to know what's there."

Are there planets like ours around those stars?

Are there any living things up there?

"If so, do they also have Magic?"

"What kind of Magic do they use?"

Nicolas remained silent for a long time, then glanced at Dumbledore again.

Dumbledore didn't say anything, he just sat there with that relaxed smile on his face.

But his eyes seemed to say, "See, I wasn't wrong."

Nicolas turned her gaze back to Regulus.

Having lived for six hundred years, I have heard countless stories of wizards.

I've seen those who crave power, those who crave authority, and those who crave Eternal Life.

Albus said this child wanted to leave this world; he was the first.

Hearing him say it himself now feels different.

Regulus continued, "I may never be able to go in my lifetime, but if I don't think about it, I definitely won't be able to go."

After a long while, Nicolas suddenly laughed, "I always thought I'd seen everything I needed to see..."